Brought Together by Destiny, Torn Apart by Fate
by IntrospectiveMess
Summary: Canada, Germany, and South Italy. The brothers of the Bad Touch Trio, and best friends since childhood. Follow their adventures and see where their paths take them! Human and non-human names used. This story will span across several hundred years. I will try to be as historically accurate as possible, and I'm sorry for any mistakes. DISCONTINUED.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N at bottom**

Spring, 1615

"Papa, where are we going?"

Currently, a young Canadian by the name of Matthieu Williams was being dragged along by his older brother, Francis, through a crowded street in Paris.

"Don't worry, my sweet Matthieu. We are just going to pick up some things at the shop before my meeting. Hurry along now, I can't be late!" Matthieu merely sighed as he struggled to keep up with his brothers stride. Eventually, they came to a stop.

"Wait a moment, is that who I think it is?"

"What?" Replied the small Canadian.

"Bonjour, Gilbert!" Francis yelled as two figures came into view. The first one had white hair and red eyes, and next to him stood a blond boy with blue eyes. He wore a serious expression and kept his eyes focused on the floor. The pale man approached the French duo.

"Hello Francis! And who might this be?"

"This is my brother, Matthieu! Don't you remember me mentioning him?" Gilbert bent down to Matthieus eye level.

"Hello there! I am Gilbert, and this is my bruder Ludwig! Ludwig, say hello!" Ludwig looked at Matthieu and muttered a hello.

"Bonjour!" Matthieu replied shyly. Before the conversation could continue, a third party joined the group.

"Hola! No one told me we were having a party!" Spoke a man with a distinct Spanish accent.

"Would you stop yelling in my ear, you bastard!" Muttered the short Italian by his side.

"Shhhh! There they are! Hola everybody!" Then, glancing down at Matthieu and Ludwig, he said: "I'm Antonio, and this is my brother Lovino! How funny, all of us running into each other! Lovino, say hello!"

"Oh, shut up!" Lovino yelled up at his brother. Turning back to Canada and Germany, he said:

"Hi. Im Lovino. Nice to meet ya. Can we go home now?"

"Well, now that the introductions are in order, we can- damn. I'm going to be late for a meeting with the King. Cant miss that! Well, we should all meet for lunch tomorrow! Come on Matthieu! Au revoir everyone!" And with that, the French duo had left.

"Do you really have to leave so soon? Vhatever. I guess that means we are leaving too. Come along Ludwig!"

"Si, Lovino. We can go home now. Adios everyone! See you tomorrow!" And with that, the group parted.

But their adventure had only begun.

 **Hello everyone! I'm so excited that I finally have time to write this! So this story will mainly be centered around Canada, Germany, and South Italy. I plan on having this story span across several hundred years, and it will be pretty long. How often I update will honestly depend on how many people are reading this, so feel free to follow!**

 **I'm also very strict about updating on time, so I plan on having the next chapter up by Friday, June 24th. See you soon! (Also, I will try to make the story as historically accurate as possible, and I apologize for any mistakes.)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N at bottom. This story takes place one day after the previous chapter.**

 **Spring, 1615**

"So..." Ludwig muttered.

"So..." Matthieu repeated.

"I want to go home," Romano grumbled. The three nations, after being begged by their older brothers, were all having lunch together. Unfortunately, only having have met yesterday, they had nothing to say to each other.

The German cleared his throat.

"Erm, what did you guys bring for lunch?"

"A tomato," replied Romano.

"Is that all?" The Canadian questioned.

"Is there something wrong with that?" Snapped Romano. Matthieu jumped to his defense.

"No- not at all. I guess I just didnt realize-"

"Well, you should have," sourly replied Romano.

"Well, in Matthieu's defense, it's kind of odd to eat a single raw tomato for lunch," piped up Ludwig.

"Shut up!" Romano glared at the German for several seconds before returning to his lunch.

"Weird," muttered Ludwig under his breath. However, it wasn't quiet enough for Romano not to hear.

"You know what!? Screw you bastard! I'm just here so my brother will stop bothering me, but I don't even care anymore. I'm out of here!" And with that, the Italian turned around and began to run away.

"Do we go after him?" Matthieu whispered to Ludwig.

"And don't even think about following me!" Romano screamed before disappearing into the distance.

"So, what do you think is up with that Romano guy?" Ludwig spoke, breaking the silence that hung ever since the Italian ran away.

"What do you mean?" Matthieu replied.

"Why's he so upset? We didn't even do anything! And besides, he never looks happy."

"I dunno. Maybe he's just in a bad mood."

"Well whatever it is, I hope he stops soon. I don't know how much longer I can deal with thi- wait, what is that?" Ludwig squinted into the distance.

Matthieu looked as well. "What is it? I don't see anyth-"

"HELP!" Screamed a distant voice.

"Wait, what was that?" Ludwig questioned.

"MATTHIEU! LUDWIG! ITS ATTACKING ME!" The voice yelled again.

"Is that... Romano?" Matthieu asked.

"HURRY UP YOU JERKS!"

"Romano! Where are you! Come on Ludwig, we have to help him!"

"Ugh, fine. Romano! Were coming! Stay still!" And with that, the duo ran to save the Italian.

"What. The. Hell." Ludwig gasped at the sight before him. Romano sat at the top of a tree, cowering in fear. At the base of a tree sat a small white bear, growling at Romano.

"Kuma!" Matthieu ran up to the bear. "There you are!"

"You know this beast!?" Romano yelled from his spot on a branch.

"Kuma, why are you attacking Romano? That's not very nice! Now say you're sorry!"

"But he came after me first!" whined the bear.

"It talks!?" Ludwig spoke.

"You bet! Now Kuma, apologize!"

"Fine. I'm sorry I came after you."

"See!" Matthieu smiled. "You can come down now!"

"Fine, give me a minute," grumbled Romano.

A few minutes passed, and somehow, Romano was still in the tree.

"You know what guys? I think I want to stay up here for a while."

"You what!?" Ludwig shouted up at Romano.

"It's actually pretty nice up here!" The terrified expression on the Italians face, however, said otherwise.

"Romano, are you alright?" Matthieu asked, voice full of concern.

"Of course I am! Just go away! I'll be right there!"

"Are you... Stuck?" Matthieu asked as Ludwig began to laugh.

"What? No way! Stop laughing! I'll be right there, just leave!"

"Do you want me to get your brother!?" Ludwig shouted.

"NO- I mean, um, I'll be fine! Maybe I can just- shit!" Romano tried, and failed, to climb down.

"You know what? I think he needs to jump," Matthieu spoke up.

"What!?" Yelled the Italian.

"Yeah," said Ludwig. "I'm pretty sure I can catch you!"

"There's no way in hell I'm jumping!"

"Fine," Matthieu began. "I'll just go get Antonio and he can help!"

"Don't! I'm begging you! Fine, fine. I'll jump. But Ludwig, if you don't catch me, I swear to God-"

"I swear I'll catch you! Just jump!" Ludwig spoke while preparing to catch Romano as he got in position to jump.

"Ready?" Matthieu cheered. "1-2-3!" And with that, the Italian leapt from the tree, screaming all the way down. Ludwig lunged to catch him, but the impact of Romano's body sent them toppling to the ground. Matthieu ran over to the duo.

"Are you guys OK?" Matthieu asked, voice full of worry.

"We never speak of this again," Romano grumbled from the ground.

"Oh, there you guys are! We have been looking all over for you!" The trio turned around to find their older brothers running towards them. Francis, the one who spoke, was leading his friends as they approached Matthieu, Ludwig, and Romano, two of whom were still on the floor.

"Wait, why are you guys on the ground?" Cheerfully noted Antonio. Romano and Ludwig sprang to their feet.

"Oh, we were just playing around!" Chirped Matthieu, Romano and Ludwig nodding in agreement.

"Well, we have to go home now. Come on Ludwig, I'm starving!" Gilbert spoke, taking his brother by the hand.

"We need to go to Romano." Antonio said, beginning to walk away.

"Wait!" Romano spoke up. Turning around to Ludwig and Matthieu, he said: "You guys might not be too bad. We should be friends. Deal?"

"Deal!" Matthieu and Ludwig replied in unison before leaving with their elder brothers.

And just like that, despite a rocky beginning, their friendship had started.

 **Here's your next chapter! As always, thanks for reading and feel free to review! Criticism is much appreciated. The next chapter goes up next Friday!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N at bottom**

Fall, 1619

Matthieu sat under a large oak tree in Paris, quietly waiting for his friends to show up. Though the trio doesn't get to meet up too often, they had grown close over the past five years. Matthieu squinted his eyes and made out the shape of his German friend. He smiled as Ludwig approached.

"Guten tag, Matthieu."

"Bonjour Ludwig. Do you know where Romano is?"

"No idea. I thought he was with you. Maybe he won't show up..."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm sure he will!"

"I don't know..." Ludwig muttered.

"...You don't want him here," Matthieu sighed.

"What!? Of course I do!"

Matthieu attempted to raise an eyebrow.

"It's just... He's always so negative! Nothing is ever good enough for him!"

"Ludwig, you're not exactly a ray of sunshine yourself," Matthieu chuckled.

"And there's nothing wrong with that! At least I-"

"Hey guys."

Matthieu and Ludwig jumped in surprise. In the middle of their argument, their Italian friend appeared.

"Oh, hi Romano!" Ludwig said with a smile plastered across his face, hoping Romano hadn't heard too much of their conversation.

Romano, in turn, looked like a mess. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy, and he looked like he hadn't slept in months.

"Romano, what's wrong?" Asked Matthieu, the ever concerned member of the group.

"...I'm fine."

"Are you sure about that?" Ludwig muttered under his breath.

"Shut up. I said I'm fine. Just move on with it already."

Ludwig sighed deeply. "Whatever."

"I can't do this."

Romano and Matthieu looked up at Ludwig.

"What do you mean?" Matthieu wondered aloud.

"You," Ludwig spoke with a serious expression.

"Me?" Romano questioned. "What did I do?"

"You've been silent all day!" Uttered Ludwig. "You haven't shouted, swore, or complained about something once this entire day! What's going on with you?"

Romano shrugged and looked at the ground.

"You know whatever it is you can tell us," Matthieu encouraged.

"It'smybrother," Romano rapidly whispered.

"What was that?" Ludwig asked.

"It's my... Brother."

"You mean Antonio?" Matthieu questioned.

"No, well, yes, kind of. It's also my... other brother."

Matthieu and Ludwig locked eyes.

Romano rarely spoke about Feliciano, and when he did it was often with dislike. Ludwig cleared his throat.

"Do you want to tell us what happened, or-"

"Antonio likes him more than me."

"That's obviously untrue." Matthieu gasped.

"But what if it's not?" Mumbled Romano.

"Come on Romano. Don't be ridiculous! Why would you even think that?" Ludwig questioned.

"It's just that... He's always comparing us!"

"Oh Romano, I'm sure he doesn't mean it!" Matthieu sighed. "Besides, the two of prefer you over your Feliciano any day! Right, Ludwig?"

Ludwig looked up.

"We- we do? But we haven't even met Feli-" with that, Matthieu stomped on Ludwig's toes.

"Ouch! I mean, yeah! Of course we do Romano! Don't worry!"

"...Promise?"

"Of course," the other two exclaimed.

"Hey, you jerks better not think I'm a softy now." Romano grumbled after the ordeal was over.

"There's the Romano we've been looking for," Ludwig whispered to Matthieu.

"I suppose so." Matthieu whispered back.

"Oh, and if you guys ever tell anybody about this, I'll kill you in your sleep."

However, no matter how much reassurance he received from Matthieu and Ludwig about him and his brother, Romano always had lingering doubts in the back of his mind. But he would never, even if threatened with death, admit how he felt.

 **And that's the chapter! Next part goes up next Friday. Feel free to review with any criticisms you may have!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N at bottom**

 **May 30, 1631**

Matthieu and his friends sat in the cool May air, waiting for their brothers to pick them up. They had spent a full together, and they were all tired. As Matthieu looked out into the distance, he made out the shape of Gilbert and Antonio, but no Francis. As the duo approached, he voiced his concerns.

"Hey, where's Francis?" Gilbert and Antonio looked at each other, nervous expressions on their faces. Antonio bent down to Matthieu's eye level.

"Today, Romano and I will walk you home."

"But why?" Matthieu asked, concern creeping into his voice.

"Francis just had a lot of meetings today. You shouldn't worry about it," Gilbert answered.

"Oh. Okay then. Bye Ludwig." And with that, Matthieu turned and walked away with Romano and Antonio.

"Hello? Is anybody home?" Matthieu opened his front door and walked into his house. Receiving no answer, he called out again.

"Hello? Francis?"

"In here!" Francis responded from his bedroom. Matthieu followed the sound of his voice and found him sitting on his bed.

"Francis, are you alright? You look tired."

"Oh, I'm fine Matthieu. I just had a lot of work today. Now, how about I made us some food?" This was met with great enthusiasm from Matthieu, who ran to get ready for dinner.

That night, something woke Matthieu while he was sleeping. Matthieu hid under his blankets, hoping it would go away, but his curiosity got the better of him. He quietly got out of bed, determined to find the source of the noise. He crept throughout his house, careful not to wake Francis. When he passed his front door, he realized that it was open. Standing on the threshold, he peered out into the darkness. He could vaguely make out the shape of his brother, hurrying along in the distance. Fighting the urge to run back to his bed, he stepped out into the night.

He followed Francis from the shadows, determined not to be seen.

"What could Francis be doing alone in the dark?" Matthieu thought. Eventually, Francis came to a halt. They had been walking for some time now, and Matthieu was glad for the break. Francis stood in front of a gravestone, looking down. After a minute, his shoulders began to heave. Matthieu had never seen Francis cry before. As far back as he could remember, Francis had always been smiling and happy. The sight of him this upset deeply unnerved Matthieu. Deciding to break the silence, he approached his brother.

"Francis, what's wrong?" Francis turned around expectantly, as if he know Matthieu had been following him. He didn't, however, answer Matthieu's question. He asked again:

"Francis, who is this?" Francis looked down at the gravestone, a look of devastation on his face.

"She... was the woman I loved." At this, Francis began to sob. The two sat for a moment, the only sound being the Frenchman's cries.

"What was her name?" Matthieu whispered.

"...Jeanne. Jeanne d'Arc," choked out Francis.

"What happened to her?" At this, Francis began to cry even harder. Recollecting himself, he said:

"She was burned at the stake." Matthieu gasped in shock.

"What? Why? When? That's terrible, to die like tha-" Matthieu was cut off by another sob from his brother. He waited a moment before asking his next question.

"Who did this to her?"

"Oh, my dear Matthieu. I don't want you to end up like me. Vengeful with so many enemies."

"Please Francis, I want to know." Francis let out a long breath.

"Arthur. A man named Arthur Kirkland. Now please, no more questions. I just want to sit in silence for a while." Wordlessly, Matthieu hugged his brother, and they sat in the quiet night for hours.

And already, Matthieu had made an important decision. He hated Arthur Kirkland. He hated him for what he did to his brother. This "Arthur" was the only man who had ever made Francis so upset. Matthieu didn't even know if he was still alive, but he made one vow to himself.

If he ever met Arthur, he would refuse to look him in the eye, and he would never forget this night spent in darkness.

 **And that's your chapter! As always, criticisms are very welcome! South Italy and Canada have each had a chapter, so Germany might have one next! Next chapter next Friday!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N at bottom**

 **June, 1642**

"What was that?"

"Huh?" 

The trio had met up in their usual spot and were eating lunch. It was Ludwig who had asked the question, which had gone unanswered by the other two.

"Ludwig, I don't hear anything." Matthieu said.

"No, I swear I heard something!" Ludwig responded. Romano deeply sighed.

"Ludwig, are you sure you-"

"Shhh! There it is again! Just listen!"

All three became silent as the sound of a faint whimper made itself known.

"It's... an animal." Matthieu whispered.

"Wow! I wouldn't have guessed that!" Romano mocked with his usual hint of attitude. "Wait, where are you going?"

By this point, Ludwig had stood up and began to walk away.

"I'm following the noise! Are you coming or not!?"

After a moment of hesitation, Matthieu and Romano stood up and followed Ludwig to the source of the noise.

Ludwig came to an abrupt halt, causing Matthieu to crash into his back, and Romano into Matthieu's. Ludwig didn't seem to notice.

"What? What is it?!" Matthieu could barely keep his excitement out of his voice.

"It's... It's a dog." Ludwig spoke.

"Are you kidding me? We walked all the way out here for a _dog!?"_

"I'm going to go up to it." Ludwig said to himself. The dog in question looked up. It appeared to have several gashes across its back. Ludwig had barely moved 3 steps before he was interrupted.

"Wait." Matthieu said with a sigh. "Maybe one of us should do something first."

"Wha- why?" Questioned Ludwig. Matthieu and Romano looked at the floor before Matthieu attempted to give an answer.

"Well, Ludwig, sometimes you, um, come across as, erm-"

"You can be scary as shit." Romano finished. Ludwig looked taken aback, a look of hurt flashed in his eyes. It was only there for a moment before he covered it up with a serious expression.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not your fault," Matthieu spoke quickly. "You can just be intimidating sometimes. It doesn't really matter."

"Yeah," said Romano. "We just don't want the dog to run away or bite you or something." At this, Ludwig face crumpled slightly. He had always enjoyed the presence of dogs, and the thought of one being scared of him disturbed him greatly. Romano woke him from his thoughts.

"Maybe we should just go."

"No," Ludwig drew in a breath. And then, more quietly, "I don't want people to be scared of me. I don't want this dog to be scared of me."

"Nobody's _scared_ of you. We're sorry if we hurt your feelings earlier." Matthieu, who disliked conflict, spoke up.

Ludwig just shook his head, for he had already made up his mind. He took small steps towards the dog, who watched with curious eyes.

"Hi puppy. It's ok. You don't need to be scared of me. I just want to- DAMN IT!" The German had tripped over a small rock, which had sent him tumbling to the ground, causing the terrified puppy to bolt, blood dripping as he limped away. Matthieu and Romano looked on sympathetically.

"Oh, Ludwig..." Matthieu sighed. Romano remained silent.

"No, it's fine... lets just go back." Ludwig stood up, brushed himself off, and began the walk back to his friends, whom he wouldn't look in the eyes. The rest of the day was spent in near-silence.

Ludwig lay under the night sky, looking up at the stars. The day had taken its toll on him, and he had wanted to spend some time alone. What was wrong with him? Had he always appeared so intimidating? Could he not even touch a dog? A sudden rustling in a nearby bush caused him to snap out of his thought process.

"Hello?" Ludwig called out. "Who's there?!" As the noise drew closer, Ludwig prepared to fight what came out of the bush. However, he was greeted with the sight of two black eyes and a furry face. A small dog, the same dog as before, limped it's way towards Ludwig.

"Hey, you came back!" Ludwig whispered to the dog. The dog responded with a small whimper. Ludwig sit down, letting the dog place it's head on his thigh.

"At least you came back," Ludwig happily sighed.

"I'm not _that_ intimidating, am I? You're such a good doggy." Ludwig stroked the dogs fur, thinking to himself.

"Now, let's see what we can do about your injuries."

Ludwig would still go on to be slightly scary, and definitely prone to yelling. However, he would still go on to love dogs, and he would always count on them to make him happy when he felt upset, because even though people may be put off by him, this dog never would be.

 **There you go! I come bearing disappointing news. I will be going away for a few weeks with no access to the Internet, so I will not be able to update for a little while. I will continue the weekly chapters when I return, so expect the next chapter on August 12th. As always criticism is greatly appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N at bottom**

 **Winter, 1657**

Matthieu had always enjoyed winter. Between the fluffy white flakes that currently flew from the sky and the chills air that bit his cheeks, it was by far his favorite season. So when Ludwig suggested the three of them go ice skating, he had no objections.

It had been a clear day with a good foot of snow on the ground. The pond had been frozen solid. Matthieu rushed towards the ice, Ludwig and Romano in tow.

"Ugh, it's so cold out," complained Romano.

Matthieu, however, was too excited to notice.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Questioned Ludwig. Matthieu ran ahead, yanked on his skates, and stepped onto the ice.

"I guess so," Romano shrugged. He gestured to his pair of his skates.

"How do you put these on, anyway?"

"Here. I'll help you," Ludwig sighed.

Despite the freezing weather, and numerous falls from Romano ("It's these damn skates, I'm telling you!), a good time was had by all. The trip enjoyed taking a break from the stress of their daily lives to enjoy each other's company, something they didn't get to do too often.

"Damn, it's starting to snow." Ludwig noted the flakes raining down from the sky.

"It is so godamn cold," Romano shivered. "I'm going to head back inside."

"But we just got here!" Matthieu, who could skate until he was absolutely exhausted, replies from his spot on the frozen pond.

"It's been, like, 3 hours!" Complained Romano.

"I think I'm going to stop for a bit. At least until the snow stops. I can't even see!" Spoke Ludwig.

"Fine. I'm staying out here for a bit." Matthieu replied. If there was one thing Matthieu was passionate about, it was skating.

"See you soon then." Romano and Ludwig skated off of the ice.

"You know, he's not usually like this."

"What?" Romano replied.

"Matthieu. He's not usually this passionate about things. He usually just goes with the crowd." Observed Ludwig.

"So?" 

"I don't know. Just something I found interesting."

"All I know is that it's freezing out here," whined Romano.

"I know. I can't even see him though the snow." Ludwig responded.

The duo stopped and peered out through the heavy snow.

"Wait, me neither." Spoke Romano.

"Wait, really?" Ludwig shielded his eyes. "Matthieu, are you alright out there?!"

He was greeted by a heavy silence.

"Holy shit. You don't think..."

Romano jumped up from his spot on the snow.

"Matthieu!" Romano screamed. Ludwig made his way through the impending snowstorm and slid onto the ice, Romano close behind.

"Matthieu!" The German yelled. "Are you ok?!"

"He was over there 5 minutes ago!" Romano gasped.

"Come on then!" The pair made their way to the center of the pond. They merely collided with a large hole in the ice. Romano wrung his hands nervously.

"Oh my god oh my god what do we do!?"

"I'm going in."

"What?! Ludwig, are you out of your mind?!"

"Do you have a better idea?!" When Romano was unable to come up with an answer, Ludwig nodded and dove into the icy abyss.

Matthieu couldn't remember what had happened. One moment, he had been skating, having the time of his life. The next moment, he heard a crack and was surrounded by a terrible cold. Despite his tries to swim up to the surface, he couldn't navigate in the dark water, so it was impossible to find the hole he fell through. His own consciousness slipped through his breath.

"I'm going to die here," he though as ran out of breath and felt his eyelids go heavy.

"I'm going to die here." Ludwig immediately regretted jumping into the water.

"You're such an idiot Ludwig. You could've gone for help. Instead, you had to jump into the godamn water."

The German waved his arms under the water, trying to hit something solid. He felt his skin numb. He karate chopped what he thought was a block of ice. He grabbed at it and swam for the surface, only to hit a sheet of ice. His lungs beginning to collapse, he ran his hands along the sheet of ice until he found the hole he came through.

"Romano," he sputtered.

"Holy shit!" Romano grabbed Matthieu and dragged him onto the ice, Ludwig pulling himself up before collapsing.

"At least Ludwig and Romano are in heaven with me," thought Matthieu as he opened his eyes.

"YOU IDIOT!" Romano screamed in his face.

Nope. This is hell.

"What happe-"

"I can't believe you would let yourself FALL through the ICE and Ludwig had to go AFTER YOU-"

"You fell through the ice." Ludwig cut off Romano.

"We thought you were dead..." Romano sniffled.

"Did you really jump in after me?"

Ludwig sighed. "Don't worry about it. Just promise me you'll be careful next time?"

"...I promise." Matthieu smiled. The three looked at the ground for a few moments before Matthieu broke the silence.

"So, you guys want to go skating?"

 **As promised, I'm back! Thanks to everyone for waiting! As always, criticism is greatly appreciated. Next chapter next Friday!**

 **Also, someone mentioned that Germany wasn't technically a country yet, so he couldn't have met Romano and Matthieu. While I said that I would try to be as historically accurate as possible, I will have to overlook this detail because the story simply wouldn't work if I included this. Therefore, for the sake of the story, I'm saying that Germany has been established by now and the events leading up to it (ex. Holy Rome, etc.) have already happened. I just wanted to clear this up so there'd be no confusion. I hope this answers all questions (and thanks for pointing it out!)**


	7. Chapter 7

**More A/N at bottom**

 **So this is going to be a pretty lighthearted chapter, as will the next few. After that, the story gets a little more upsetting for the characters, so beware! ;)**

 **1673**

"Are you sure it's ok for us to be in here?" Mattieu timidly questioned. The group was currently navigating the depths of Spain's dimly lit basement, a place Matthieu and Ludwig didn't prefer to be in.

"Calm down, it's perfectly fine!" Romano shrugged off Matthieu's concerns.

"What are we even looking for?" Ludwig grumbled.

"You'll see! I know it's here somewhere... Ah-hah! Here we go!" Romano grabbed a bottle off of a fully stocked shelf and held it up to the light to read the label.

"Cerveza," Ludwig read aloud. "What's that mean?"

"Don't ask me, I don't speak Spanish," declared Romano. Ludwig and Matthieu glanced at each other, knowing full well this wasn't true.

"Well, what does it do?" Matthieu spoke up.

"I don't know. Antonio just said you use it when you want to have a good time."

"Hmm..." thought Ludwig. "Sounds promising."

"Yeah. Let's go drink this upstairs though," Matthieu agreed. Even though he had his doubts about the whole situation, he would have done just about anything to get out of the Spaniards basement, where he was sure he could feel spiders crawling down his back.

"So, how much of this are we supposed to drink?"

The trio had gathered in Antonio's kitchen, the bottle on the table in front of them. Matthieu, who had asked the question, attempted to come up with a solution.

"A glass full seems pretty reasonable, right?" The other two shrugged, having no experience with the said drink.

"Yeah, I guess so..." Romano guessed. He poured generous servings into three glasses before distributing them to his friends.

"So, uh... Cheers."

Matthieu immediately felt a burnin sensation in his throat as he drank. Ludwig began to cough immediately. No one spoke for a moment before Romano began to giggle, setting Matthieu off in hysterics.

"Guys, what's so funny?" Ludwig asked. This only made the other two laugh harder. Ludwig let out an uncomfortable chuckle.

"D'ya have any more of that stuff?" Matthieu asked.

"We have, like, a whole bottle!" Romano laughed as he began to pour another round, which the trio drank.

"Guys, do you wanna dance?" Romano asked. Matthieu began to laugh again, and Ludwig, who had been overtaken by a feeling of warmth after his second drink, had to agree that he was in the perfect mood to dance.

"But guys," Matthieu gasped through his fit of hysterics. "We don't even have any music!"

"I will take care of it!" Romano declared as he managed to hum an indecipherable tune, which caused the other two to laugh harder.

"I love this," shouted Ludwig, "having fun with you guys." Matthieu and Romano were too taken up with Romano's humming to notice Ludwigs words. Ludwig sighed and joined in on the dancing, savoring these moments he shared with his best friends while still getting to experience them.

Francis, Gilbert, and Antonio were not pleased when they returned home to find their little brothers passed out on the floor, an empty bottle of alcohol sitting on the kitchen table. This forced the older brothers to pick up the younger ones and carry them home.

"What you guys get up to when we're gone," sighed Francis, "I'll never know."

 **And that's the chapter! As always, criticism is greatly appreciated. Next chapter next Friday!**


	8. Chapter 8

A/N at bottom

1692

"Are we ready to begin?"

Matthieu, Ludwig, and Romano assembled in Francis's kitchen. Since their brothers were out of town, they had decided to make dinner for when they returned. The choice of what to make had been a difficult one, with all of them having different tastes.

"First, we need to decide what we're making," declared Matthieu. Since he had seen Francis cook many times before, it was assumed that he should be in charge of the process.

"Oh, that's easy!" Shouted Romano.

"Tomatoes/Potatoes/Pancakes," the three said in unison.

"Tomatoes? Really Romano?" Ludwig grumbled.

"Oh, like potatoes are any better." Romano retorted.

"Well, at least pancakes are actually s meal!" Matthieu triumphed.

"Yeah, the wrong one! That's _breakfast,_ " Romano observed.

"Well, tomatoes are just vegetables! We can't possibly make a single vegetable into a meal!" Ludwig spoke.

"And what do you think a potato is? It's a vegetable as well!" Romano defended his precious food. Matthieu interrupted their argument.

"Let's just make pancakes then! It will work perfectly, and I know Francis has the ingredients!" Ludwig, who at this point would rather make anything instead of tomatoes, and Romano, who wouldn't let Ludwig have the satisfaction of watching him cook potatoes, both had to agree.

"I feel like we're missing something," muttered Matthieu. The ingredients for the pancakes were spread out on the kitchen table.

"And you're sure you know what you're doing?" Ludwig questioned.

"I've helped Francis a bunch of times, so- flour! We need flour! That's what we're missing!"

"Where would that be?" Grumbled Romano.

"He keeps it on one of these shelves," Matthieu thought aloud. "I think it's... that one." He pointed to the highest shelf.

"How are we possibly supposed to reach that?" Romano complained.

"I'm sure there's a chair around here or something," observed Ludwig. "Maybe this one will work?" He gestured to one of the chairs surrounding the kitchen table. He dragged it over to the shelf, and, after determining he was the tallest of the three, he stood on the chair and reached for the flour. Unfortunately, the chair didn't cover the distance between his hands and the flour.

"Well, it looks like this won't work," Ludwig climbed back down. "I still can't reach it."

"Can't we just stack another chair?" Romano mused.

"No way. I'd fall right over."

"Then pick up Matthieu and have him grab it." Romano's request was met with silence until Ludwig said:

"That could work."

So Ludwig and Matthieu stepped onto the top of the chair, Ludwig hoisting Matthieu by the soles of his feet as he grabbed the shelf, the flour along with it.

"Do you have it?" Grunted Ludwig, whose strength was wearing thin.

"Yep!" Responded Matthieu. "Let me just- damn it!" He ungracefully lost his grip on the shelf and fell to the floor, bringing the flour, the chair, and Ludwig down with him. Flour caked Ludwigs eyelids as he rubbed it off. Matthieu's hair was a milky white as he shook flour off of it. The white powder covered the floor, furniture, and the two boys who lay on the floor.

"Well," exclaimed Romano, the only survivor of the flours descent. "That solves the flour problem. Now, let's get to work!" He clapped his hands in delight, something he rarely did, and set about getting his friends off of the floor.

The rest of the pancake baking went smoothly, despite the occasional cough of flour from Ludwig and cracked egg from Romano. After they had determined their pancakes were perfect, they layered them with syrup and sugar. After a short while, their brothers walked into the house.

"What is this mess!?" Francis gasped as he observes the disaster unfolding in his own kitchen. Flour lined the floor, egg yolk had been tracked though the room, and the kitchen table was sticky with maple syrup.

"We made pancakes!" Matthieu smiled giddily. Francis looked ready to faint as he noticed a specific splotch of syrup on the wall. Gilbert snorted.

"Well, that's great and all, but there's no way in _hell_ I'm cleaning this me when you're done." With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, chuckling lightly. Antonio looked at the mess and sighed.

"How about you guys clean this up, then we'll eat." He followed Gilbert, Francis close behind him.

As the trio quickly learned, cleaning up such a mess was not as fun as making it.

 **And that's the chapter! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated. Next chapter next Friday!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N at bottom**

 **1709**

Matthieu had never considered himself to be a rule breaker. He rarely got in trouble, and he didn't often question Francis's decision making. So when Romano had suggested they play chase in Francis's house, perhaps he should have said no.

"Come on Matthieu, it's a great idea!" Romano begged.

Matthieu looked to Ludwig for help, but he offered no answers.

"I'm not sure if Francis will want us too..." Matthieu began.

"Aww, come on!" Romano whined. Ludwig, who didn't want to listen to more of Romano's pestering, finally offered his opinion.

"Just let him play. I can't listen to more of this."

"Well," muttered Matthieu. "I suppose one round won't hurt."

"Aw, yes! This is gonna be great!" Romano bounced with endless energy. "Let's go!"

Now, it can't be said for sure who crashed into the table holding a vase that, from the looks of it, appeared to be worth a significant amount of money. What can be said, however, is that Francis certainly wouldn't be happy about the accident.

"Great job, Romano..." Ludwig muttered under his breath.

"What!? You're the one who slid into the table!"

"I know for a FACT that was you!"

Matthieu, who cared more about the vase than who slid into it, wanted to focus on the more pressing issue, which was the scattered glass all over the floor.

"Guys, he's gonna be so upset..."

Ludwig and Romano looked up from their argument.

"Who?" Romano questioned.

"Francis you dummkopf! It was _his_ vase! Don't worry Matthieu. I'm sure we can fix it."

"How?" Matthieu sounded distressed.

"We could just, like, glue it back together or something." Romano shrugged. "It can't be that difficult."

"Where does Francis keep the glue?" Ludwig questioned.

"I- I don't know. I think he keeps it in the kitchen somewhere."

This lead to a fruitless search in the kitchen. The three tore apart the drawers and cabinets, and while they found several loaves of moldy bread, they found no glue.

"I can't find it," declared Romano.

"Me neither..." sighed Ludwig.

"Oh God, what are we gonna do?" Matthieu sniffled.

"Do we have anything we can use besides glue? Something sticky?" Romano wondered aloud.

"I don't know, I have to keep looking," spoke Ludwig. "What about- wait, what's this?"

"It's syrup," Matthieu grumbled miserably. "So what?"

"So.. It's sticky, right? Like glue?"

Matthieu caught on to what Ludwig was saying.

"Oh, I get it."

"Wait," Romano whined. "I don't get it."

"Romano, the syrup is sticky, just like glue."

"So?"

"Romano," Ludwig. "We're going to use the syrup as _glue_."

"...Oh."

"Well, I guess this will work."

The vase has been pieced together by the trio, who substituted the glue for maple syrup. Though Matthieu had his doubts originally, he had to admit that it looked pretty good. But Francis chose that minute to walk in the door.

"What are you guys doing with that?"

The trio looked at each other wide eyed.

"Well," Francis continued. "It doesn't matter. Just put it down. That thing cost me a fortune!" Thinking it was better not to debate, Ludwig put the vase back on the desk.

"Now, you all should go home. I'm sure your brothers are looking for you."

It took Francis many years to figure out what was holding that vase together.

 **And that's the chapter! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! Next chapter next Friday!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N at bottom**

 **1723**

"I'm so sorry to leave him like this," Antonio gestured to the couch where a crippled Romano lay.

"Oh, it's no problem," Matthieu reassured.

"Stop worrying!" Coughed Romano, nose stuffed.

"Stop talking! You need to rest!" Antonio scolded. "I won't be gone too long. Just make sure he gets some rest. See you later, Romano!"

"Shut up!" Romano replied. And with that, Antonio shut the door.

"So, do you want some soup or something?" Ludwig felt awkward watching Romano sit there, and he was ready to busy himself with a task.

"Nah, I don't want to bother you guys."

"We can make tomato soup?" Matthieu suggested.

"...Fine."

"It's so weird to see him laying there like that," Matthieu observed. He and Ludwig had began to prepare soup in the kitchen.

"I guess. To be honest, I kind of prefer him like this. Did you find any tomatoes?"

"No. I'm sure there around here somewhere."

"Well, I can't find them, and I don't feel like finding them for somebody who can't even taste anything. Let's just make chicken soup or something." Matthieu, who didn't have it in him to search for tomatoes either, agreed.

"We made chicken soup." Ludwig and Matthieu walked into the room where Romano lay sneezing to deliver the pot of soup.

"I thought you were making tomato."

"Well," sighed Ludwig. "We couldn't find any tomatoes, and I can assure you this soup is just as good."

"Well, I'm not eating it."

"What? It's just soup!" Ludwig prepared for an argument.

"Terrible soup!"

"Ludwig, let's just make more soup," insisted Matthieu, the best at conflict negotiation. "But Romano, you have to eat it."

"Fine, I'll eat it." Ludwig and Matthieu returned to the kitchen for their second attempt.

"I take it back. He's much worse when he's sick," Ludwig grumbled while stirring a freshly made pot of noodle soup.

"Let's just give him the soup," Matthieu sighed. "I'm sure noodle will be fine."

"I'm not eating it."

"Why not!?" Ludwig threw his hands up. "It's just soup!"

"Yeah, but it's not _tomato_ soup!"

"Romano, please just eat the soup," Matthieu gently spoke.

"Sure. Just make it tomato."

"You know what?" Ludwig began to lose his patience. "I'm sure we missed the tomatoes. How about we look again?"

"Fine. Just hurry up."

"What do you mean, 'maybe we missed something?' Theres no tomatoes here!" Matthieu exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter if there aren't any tomatoes," began Ludwig. "He can't even taste them! Let's just tell him there are, and see is he notices. We can make carrot soup. Orange and red are similar, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so," sighed Matthieu. "But If this doesn't work, I'm blaming you."

"Do you swear it's tomato this time?"

"Just eat the damn soup." Ludwig grumbled. Romano took a spoonful of soup into his mouth and tasted it.

"Finally, tomato soup!"

Matthieu let out a breath.

"Thanks guys!"

"No problem," Ludwig sighed.

The front door opened.

"Guys, I'm back with the tomatoes!" Antonio's voice boomed into the room.

"...what?" Romano questioned.

"We were all out! Now we can make soup!"

"... Well Romano, we'll see you tomorrow." And with that, Ludwig and Matthieu rushed out of the house.

 **And that's the chapter! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated!**

 **Just as a heads up, I can't guarantee I will be able to update every Friday. I'm back in highschool and it's a ton of work. I'll still continue to update, but it might not be weekly. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

A/N at bottom

1754

Matthieu sat at the kitchen table writing a letter, which he often found himself doing when there was no work to be done or arguments to be settled. This letter in particular was addressed to Ludwig, who he hadn't seen for months, and he hadn't seen Romano for even longer. Matthieu's last letter had been written in a hurry, so he wanted to take his time and say what he needed to say. His peace didn't last long, however, until Frances barged into the room, nearly knocking down the kitchen door.

"Damn him. GODDAMN HIM," Francis muttered under his breath. Matthieu didn't even have to guess as to who Francis was referring.

"England again?" Even though Matthieu knew his name was Arthur, he wouldn't ever call him that, and especially not to his face. He didn't know him well enough, only having have seen him at the occasional meeting, which he didn't often participate in anyway. Matthieu may not adore the man, but he didn't want to blatantly disrespect him. He knew Francis would disagree, but that was the standard the Canadian held himself to.

"Of course. That... that bâtard!" Matthieu sighed, preparing himself for the drama that was surely to be hurled at him. He knew he would regret asking, but...

"What did he do this time?" Francis, shamelessly pleased that Matthieu had taken an interest in his complaints, wasted no time in responding.

"So you know how we have all those forts set up in the upper Ohio River valley? Well, Angleterre (he practically spat when he said his name) decided it would be so funny for him and his stupid American colonists to go an-"

By this point, Matthieu had to admit he was zoning out. He heard the words "bâtard" and "how dare he" and "that pompous jerk" a lot, but the entire situation seemed like a minor skirmish, and not anything to panic about.

"And that, dear Matthieu, is why I'm going to war." This, however, Matthieu took an interest in.

"Wait, what?" He hoped he had heard Francis incorrectly.

"I'm sorry, you're right. We're going to war." Like that made it any better.

"Francis, are you sure this is a good idea? This really just seems like a trivial thing, are you sure we should go to war over this?"

"Ah, Matthieu. You shouldn't worry so much! Angleterre could never defeat the mighty French Empire!"

"Ok Francis, whatever you say..."

A/N

Yes, I am back! I have written out the next few chapters of this story, so we should be good to go! As always, criticism is greatly appreciated. A couple things:

1\. This is how I might write this story. Write a a bunch of chapters, take a two month hiatus, come back. It's just the way I work the best.

2\. We are now entering a new part of the story. While the first ten chapters focused on the trio as young kids, the second part will get more into the Seven Years War and England.

3\. Just as an important note, I do picture Matthew being a little older than Alfred, even though he gains his independence first. This is probably because Canada was found first.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N at bottom**

1754

Matthieu awoke in his bed to the sound of a bloodcurdling scream coming from Francis' room. When Frances had nightmares, which happened often when he was at war, he would always scream in his sleep. As much as it horrified him, Matthieu tried to focus to focus on what he was saying.

"Non- I'm sorry- Italy I- I had to-"

Oh. It was that dream. While Matthieu had dreamt his share of weird dreams (just what happened before Francis found him, anyways?), he knew how Francis' screaming would end (inevitably in alcohol) and decided he had to get out of there.

Matthieu didn't have a set destination in mind when he set out. He let his feet and mind wander, eventually coming to the spot where he had met Ludwig and Romano so many years ago. Without thinking about it, he lay on his back and looked up at the stars. He sighed. The war had just begun, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was in for a disaster.

"Can't sleep?" Matthieu looked up to the sound of a distinct German accent.

"Ludwig, what are you doing here?"

"Oh- erm, dreams I guess. You?"

"Francis." Ludwig instantly knew what he meant.

"Oh, one of those nights." He lay down next to Matthieu as the two sat in silence. Matthieu returned to his thoughts, and he believed Ludwig to be asleep. He even started to doze off until he heard a voice behind him.

"Is this grass taken?"

Matthieu didn't bother to ask Romano what he was doing there. Ludwig didn't even open his eyes. He lay down next to the other two, and Matthieu returned to his thoughts until Romano broke the silence.

"Matthieu, are you nervous?"

"... about what?"

"The war." Ludwig cracked opened an eye. Ever since the start of the war, they hadn't really spoken about it.

"I... I don't know." As much as Matthieu hated to admit it, he had a lot of doubts about fighting England. In fact, while he always had faith in Francis, he had to admit that even that was dwindling.

"Matthieu," Ludwig cleared his throat. "Are you all right?" The Canadian didn't answer. His mind began to race. Francis will win. Francis won't win. I'll have to leave him and I'll never see my friends again and- Matthieu rarely got worked up like this.

"Matthieu," Romano began. "Are you-"

"Promise me something." Matthieu needed to calm down. "Promise you won't leave me."

"Matthieu, what are you-"

"Just promise. Please."

"Yeah yeah, I promise."

"Ludwig?"

"... I promise."

"...Thank you." The three were left to ponder their futures under the stars, and Matthieu wrestled his doubts in silence.

 **A/N**

 **Thank you for reading! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated. A huge thanks to LuckAndHope and ZeroInfinity24 for helping me realize the issue with the last chapter! See ya next Friday!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N at bottom**

1756

Matthieu was, to say the least, absolutely miserable. Every day kept him on his toes, and Francis wasn't making it any better. While Ludwig and Romano tried their best, they weren't at the risk of being torn apart from their families. Everyday he had to listen to Francis boast about his war efforts, and every day Matthieu had to smile and pretend that the knot in his stomach wasn't growing exponentially. So when he came home to the sound to Francis drunkenly singing, he attempted to sneak up the stairs as quietly as he thought possible. Unfortunately, Francis had better ears than he thought.

"Matthieu, please, come join me." Matthieu sighed and, holding back the urge to throw himself off of the stairs, shuffled into the kitchen.

"Oui, Francis?" Francis straightened his shoulders and grinned.

"I have cause for celebration!"

"What? What happened!?" Francis' face was glowing.

"Ah, Matthieu! Did you ever doubt me?" Francis took a sip of his wine. "It just so happens we've had a victory at Fort Oswego." Francis kept a smug look on his face as he crossed arms, waiting for Matthieu's response.

"Francis, that's... fantastic!"

Matthieu didn't know much about Fort Oswego, but he knew that the English had been planning to use the Oswego River to take Fort Niagara, but they never did. Ever since then, the British had been maintaining the fort, sitting there like some sort of British plague infecting the river. Their presence had upset Matthieu from the beginning, and he was happy to say that with them gone, the weight on his stomach felt a little less heavy.

"So, if the war keeps going the way it has been, we're sure to drive out Angleterre!" Francis was beaming. Though he never doubted his ability to fight, he never doubted England's ability to match his pace.

"...If? If the war keeps going the way it has been?"

"Well, oui. And it's been going well! Please stop worrying, that's my job."

"Francis, I'm not a child anymore!" Matthieu hated how stupid that sounded out loud, but it was true. If they lost this war, Francis wouldn't be there to protect him.

"Matthieu, we won't lose. Please, it's enough pressure on my own, but if you can't even trust me it's not going to help."

"I... I know."

"So will you please stop worrying about it?"

"Fine. I guess you're right. I won't worry."

"Good. Now go to bed, it's late."

That night, Matthieu slept better than he had for the past month.

 **A/N**

 **Thanks for reading! As always, criticisms** **are greatly** **appreciated! Next chapter next Friday!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N at bottom**

1757

Francis Bonnefoy was never one to enjoy the quiet, but even he enjoyed a nice walk every now and then. Taking a break from the gunshots for a walk in the Canadian wilderness was just what Francis needed. He brushed the branches out of his face as he hummed to himself. Matthew had calmed down significantly in the past few months, and since Francis loathed seeing Matthew unhappy,all was well in Francis' war. And to be fair, he was kicking the Englishman's ass. His prior victories had kept him well ahead of England, and if things kept doing like they currently were, then he wouldn't be seeing much of England anymore.

"Well Frog, it's a pleasure to see you out here." Oh. Never mind. Francis hated to see that blond, green-eyed, bushy-eyebrowed short piece of absolute shit appear from the shrub, but alas there he was.

"What do you want, _Angleterre_?" Francis he knew he hated the French version of his name, but he knew he would hate this even more. "What's a black sheep like you doing in the woods?" Arthur looked like he wanted Francis' head on a pike, but he refrained from anger.

"Well, _frog_ , I'm here because I've reached into the goodness of my heart to warn you."

"I'm sorry, you want to _warn me?"_ The audacity of the god damn Brit!

 _"_ Well, I'm just saying. You might want to start saying your goodbyes to what's-his-name."

"You god damned bastard. You don't even know his fucking name? How dare you! It's Matthew, okay? Matthew Matthew Ma- Matthew!" Matthew chose that moment to walk through the clearing.

"Hi Francis! I was just looking for- oh." Matthew stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the Brit. England in return stared back. Matthew twitched slightly but refused to show any sign of fear or weakness. England smiled with no hint of happiness in his eyes.

"Hello Matthew."

"Hello England."

"Please." England glanced towards Francis. "Call me Arthur."

Francis looked like he was ready to kill Arthur, or possibly himself. Matthew couldn't contain his next question.

"Why?"

"Because," Arthur smiled, a malicious one this time. "I think we will be seeing a lot of each other pretty soon." Francis' eyes flared. "Well, it appears that Francis (He said his name with a hint of anger) is scared of the truth, so I must be going. I'll be seeing you!" And with that, Arthur retraced his steps and disappeared into the trees.

"Francis... what did he mean?"

"I-I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Francis, _what did he mean?"_

"You know not to listen to him."

"What truth are you scared of? What are you keeping from me?"

It was just like Arthur to do this. Come and make Matthew and him fight while he has god-knows-what in store. That... bastard.

"I have nothing to say about him. The war has been going well. Don't let him throw you off."

"What did he say before I walked in? Why were you saying my name?"

"Matthew, I have nothing to say. Everything is _fine."_

"You know, you keep saying that, but- you know what? I have to go." He turned and ran out of the clearing.

Francis, left behind, merely sighed, cursed Arthur's name under his breath, and followed Matthew's trail.

 **A/N**

 **That's the chapter! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! Next chapter next Friday!**


	15. Chapter 15

A/N at Bottom

1759

"Retreat!" Francis screamed as thousands of British soldiers attacked. The French didn't stand a chance. Blood had splattered Francis' shirt, mud caked his shoes, and bodies coated the ground of Quebec, a city that Matthieu loved so much and now belonged to that god damned Brit. This was Francis' nightmare, and he had the pleasure of watching it come true. He ran like the devil was lunging for his heels, and the entirety of his army was close behind him. Francis hated to run away, especially at a time like this, but to attempt to ward off the impounding British soldiers would be a definite suicide. Quebec had fallen.

It wasn't surprising that Francis found himself in a bar, drowning his sorrows in cheap alcohol. His two best friends, who also happened to love alcohol, sat on either side of him.

"Jesus Francis, what's wrong with you?" Gilbert chugged his pint of beer.

"I lost Quebec." Francis slumped on top of the counter.

"Aw Francis, cheer up!" Antonio smiled, his signature twinkle in his eye. "You'll get him next time Francis!"

"It's just... thinking about him makes me... furious. I have never hated someone so god damn much." Francis pounded his fist on the bar top. Gilbert and Antonio shared a glance. Francis was bound to explode when discussing this topic, so Gilbert quickly changed it.

"So... did you tell Matthieu?" Antonio swiftly kicked him under the table. He braced himself for Francis to scream, or cry, or walk out, but he just sighed.

"I'm sure he knows. He's definitely going to be on my case about it later. I... hate seeing him so sad. Who knows... maybe I'll have to say goodbye to him."

"Don't say that! Francis, what is wrong with you? You know that wont happen!" Gilbert couldn't believe what was hearing. Antonio tried to cheer him up, but he honestly couldn't do much.

"Aww... Don't be sad! It'll work out, I'm sure!"

Ludwig honestly didn't mean to listen in. He went looking for Gilbert, then he heard shouting, and he knew it was rude, and he swears he'd never do it again, but what matters is that he did it. And he did not like what he heard. He didn't cry. Ludwig rarely cried. Gilbert raised him to be tougher than that. So he kept his mouth shut and pressed his ear against the door.

"Well, I need to go deal with Matthieu now." Ludwig heard a chair scrape against the floor, and then he heard footsteps walking in his direction, and by then he knew it was too late to do anything. He couldn't lie and he couldn't run away.

"Okay, good luck Francis." Gilbert called out. Francis opened the door and caught the piercing eyes of the German on the other side of the doorframe. Now, he would never admit it, but Ludwig made him extremely uncomfortable. Maybe it was the way he looked at him, like Francis was guilty of something, but luckily Gilbert rescued him from having to answer any questions.

"Ludwig, what are you doing here? Were you listening?"

"Oh god, Ludwig, please don't say anything. Matthieu is incredibly unstable right now, don't tell him he might have to leave!" Francis would be damned if he let Ludwig tell Matthieu instead of himself.

"Matthieu... has to leave?" Ludwig just wanted to hear it one more time.

"...no. I mean... just... don't say anything, okay Ludwig?" Antonio flashed him a signature smile. "Please?"

"...Fine."

"That's it? Just... fine?"

"Do you want me to change my mind?" Ludwig wouldn't meddle in other peoples affairs like this, even if Matthieu was his friend. He'd rather have him hear the absolute truth from Francis than a rumor from Ludwig.

"No! I mean... thank you."

"Francis... you better fix this." Ludwig turned on his heel and walked out.

"I'll be there in one second!" Gilbert called after him. "Well, good luck Francis. I'm sure you can do this!"

"Yeah," Antonio turned to walk out after Gilbert. "I'm totally confident in you!"

Francis never lacked in his ability to believe himself, but the assets just weren't there. He sat down at the bar for another drink.

Well played, Angleterre...

A/N

And that's the chapter! As always, criticism is always appreciated! Next chapter next Friday!


	16. Chapter 16

A/N at bottom

1760

Matthieu sat with tears in his eyes. His own people had betrayed him.

The Iroquois allied with the British, it had been the perfect nightmare.

News traveled slowly in 18th century Canada. Truth be told, every day Matthieu heard a new story, and he never knew who to trust. He rarely saw his friends anymore, and he was overall... Confused. Sad. Scared.

It was one of those rare days where he had a chance to catch up with his friends. Or, more realistically, a time for all of them to silently stare at the ground in fear of mentioning the war.

"So... How is everybody?" Romano cleared his throat.

"Fine... Fine." Ludwig, who still kept his promise to Francis and let him tell Matthieu about Quebec, seated nearly silent.

"Shitty." Matthieu didn't bother to hide his frustrations.

"Ah." Romano averted his eyes.

"Erm... Look Matthieu," Ludwig began. "I... I'm sorry..."

"It's fine," Matthieu grumbled.

"No... It's not. And when Francis told me about Quebec-"

"What?" Matthieu attempted to quirk an eyebrow.

...Shit.

"Ludwig, what do you mean?"

"I... Forget it."

"Ludwig,what did he tell you?"

"Nothing! Just that England took Quebec."

"And... You didn't think to talk to me? To offer me any comfort!?"

"He told me not to!"

"He told you what?"

"I... I don't know. It was a while ago. I'm sorry, I should have came to you."

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Romano was thoroughly confused.

"You know how much these past few years have been! I hardly see you guys, and you don't think to talk to me?"

"Matthieu, this really isn't that big of a deal."

"Yeah, easy for you to say! You don't have England on the verge of tearing you apart from everybody!"

"Woah, Matthieu, what are you talking about?" This was the first Romano heard of anybody leaving!

"Matthieu, are you sure?" Ludwig was on the verge of screaming.

"I mean... Maybe you guys should go."

"Holy shit Matthieu, you can't just say something like that and then leave!" Romano was furious, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Ludwig look on in disbelief. Matthieu didn't answer.

"Matthieu, can we please discuss this? You're talking about the worst case scenario."

"It's just... I'm scared. I don't want to leave..." Tears welled up in Matthieu's eyes. Ludwig had to look away. He never did well when people were emotional, and he had no idea how to comfort the Canadian whenever he cried. Since Matthieu tended to be sensitive, this rendered Ludwig useless in many situations. The knock on the door was the only thing that saved him. The trio looked up to see Francis's figure in the doorframe.

"Matthieu, we need to talk." He glances towards the other two and gave them a look. They received the message and left the room.

"Yes, Francis? What's wrong?"

"I- I'm sorry." His voice cracked like a twig that had been stomped on. "It's all over. With England."

Matthieu looked up. The lack of the Englishman's nickname immediately told Matthieu that something was wrong. Deep down in his heart, he knew what happened, but he needed to hear it out loud.

"What do you mean?"

"England... has won."

A/N

Oohhhhh! And that's the chapter! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! I'm not sure if I should post the next chapter next Friday or do a Christmas special, or just take a break for the holidays, but I'll figure it out!


	17. Chapter 17

A/N at bottom

1763 (The end of the war)

Well, we all know how this part of the story ends. Matthieu wasn't stupid. He knew that his time with Francis was up, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He couldn't bare to tell Ludwig and Romano. Maybe that made him a coward, but he just couldn't face them. He let Francis handle that for him.

He had some time to pack his things, avoid eye contact with his friends, and give a nod to Antonio and Gilbert, who looked on silently.

So when he came face to face with the Devi- erm, England, he thought for sure he would be ready. But as it turns out, nothing could have prepared him.

He had never seen Francis look at someone with so much hate in his eyes. Matthieu held a suitcase, which held everything he owned (he wasn't one for physical possessions). Francis stood behind him, his hand rigid on Matthieu's shoulder. The Brit had his arms crossed, clearly uncomfortable. He tries to avert his eyes from Francis, but Francis' eyes bore into his skull. Matthieu swore he wouldn't cry or show any sign of weakness in front of England, but he really wanted to break down. Rather than feel sad, he just felt... tired. Francis looked down at him and whispered in French (mainly to upset England):

I'll visit you, I promise. Stay strong Matthieu.

Je t'aime, Francis!

Au revoir, Matthieu! Je t'aime!

Matthieu stoically walked towards England. He prayed his voice wouldn't crack when he spoke.

"England." Matthieu looked him in the eye.

"Matthew."

"Please, call me Arthur."

"Call me Matthieu." Arthur cringed at the French use of the name, but he figured the kid had been through enough that day. He wasn't

completely heartless.

"Well, Matthew, I suppose we should be going." Matthieu looked back towards Francis, gave a nod, and said:

"Yes, I suppose so."

Arthur looked back towards Francis and, in the most awkward tone of voice, said:

"Goodbye, Francis."

"...Angleterre."

"... Let's go, Matthew."

After that, Francis didn't see Matthieu/Matthew for a very long time.

A/N

And that's the chapter! Well, this section of the story is over, so I won't write for a bit as I prepare for the next one. Maybe I'll write some bonus chapters or a one-shot? As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! Happy Holidays!


	18. Chapter 18

A/N at bottom

Chapter 18

1763 (right after the last chapter)

Matthieu- or Matthew, rather, had never tried harder to hold himself together. At the same time, he had never been in such an awkward situation. After saying goodbye to Francis (don't cry, don't cry) the two of them had walked in silence towards a carriage that Arthur had waiting. So far, the silence has not ceased.

The carriage ride had to be the most uncomfortable part of the journey back to Arthur's home.

On the one hand, Matthew wanted to keep silent and prove to the man that he was capable of not breaking down.

On the other hand, Matthew happened to be a genuinely nice person, and even though he wouldn't show that side of himself to Arthur just yet, he couldn't stand the quiet.

But he wasn't about to give up. He was locked into a non-verbal war with Arthur, and he was not about to lose. That man woul- wait, was he asleep?

Matthew looked over to find Arthur with his eyes drooping. Well, at least that ended the need for conversation...

It was nearly dark by the time they reached Arthur's house. Matthew tried to subtly nudge Arthur awake, and when he woke up, he glared at Matthew, like Arthur had been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to do. Matthew averted his eyes towards the floor and let Arthur lead him inside.

Arthur didn't bother to light a candle, preferring to stumble around in the dark. Matthew, unfamiliar with the layout of the house, stood still and awaited further instruction. Arthur seemed exhausted, to say the least, but he still managed to navigate his way to the nearby kitchen, reach into his cabinets, and locate both a glass and a bottle of scotch. Before Matthew could ask where he was supposed to sleep, Arthur filled his glass.

He took a sip, then another, and then then downed the entire thing.

Matthew had never seen somebody consume so much alcohol at once without passing out on the spot, but Arthur put his glass down and sighed, albeit a little wobbly. Then he turned and saw Matthew, suddenly remembered the past 3 hours, and said:

"Your room is down the hall. Be careful not to wake Alfred."

Oh, Alfred. Matthew nearly forgot. His so-called "brother", that he now had to deal with.

But he was too tired to argue, and Arthur now looked slightly drunk (he hadn't stopped drinking), so Matthew kept his mouth shut and trudged off to his room.

"I'm sorry," Arthur whispered, so quietly that Matthew swore he imagined it.

"What?"

"I said 'good night.'"

"Oh... good night."

Matthew didn't sleep at all, and even hours later he still heard Arthur downstairs in the kitchen, drinking.

A/N

I'm back! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! The next chapter goes up next Friday!

Also, I started a new story if anyone is interested. It's basically about Canada, ghosts, and history. It's called:

The 5 Ghosts Canada Met Throughout His Life (And 1 Bonus)


	19. Chapter 19

A/N at bottom

1763 (night after last chapter)

Matthew woke up late that morning hoping last night was a dream (and no, it was not). He glanced around the room. He hadn't seen much because it had been pitch black when he arrived at Englands house. The room was bare, with a bed, desk, chair, and bureau. There wasn't much to look at, so he figured he'd walk downstairs.

He could honestly say he wasnt surprised to be the first one awake. Considering he had personally witness England down his weight in alcohol the night before, he had just assumed that he would lock himself, hungover, in his room for the entire day. Very professional of him. And Alfred... was no where to be found.

So Matthew took this grand opportunity to sit quietly in the kitchen and reflect. England (he still refused to call him "Arthur") so far, seemed like a disaster and a drink. He would rather be forced to stay with anyone else, and now he had this "Alfred" kid to deal with as well. He missed Francis. He wanted to see Ludwig and Romano. He wanted to go home.

Finally, he heard noises in the other room. A disheveled England walked into the room wearing the clothes he had worn the night before.

"Alfred, what are you doing down here so early? Go back to-" he stopped. He stared at Matthew.

"Who are you?"

"I... Matthieu."

"How did you get here?"

"You took me here."

"When?"

"... last night."

"Last night? I.. oh yeah. Sorry Matthew."

"Matthieu."

England looked at him like he had no idea what he was talking about.

"I guess I'm supposed to introduce you to Alf-"

"HI IGGY!" Alfred, a little blond child, ran into the room, completely ignoring Matthew. England winced at the noise.

"Hi Alfred."

"Iggy can you make breakfast?"

"Yes, but first I have to introduce you to your brother."

"But I don't have a brother."

"While, you do now. This is Matthew."

Matthew tried to force a smile, but Alfred didn't look the least bit interested.

"Yeah, whatever, can you make breakfast now?"

Matthew would be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit hurt.

But England looked to tired to fight it (not to mention he was hungover).

"Fine, I'll start dinner."

"Yay! Come on what's-your-name!"

As Matthew would soon learn, there's nothing like a shitty English breakfast to compliment a shitty morning.

 **A/N**

 **And that's the chapter! Just warning you, its about to go DOWN in the next one! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! The next chapter goes up next Friday!**

 **Also, I started a new story if anyone is interested. It's basically about Canada, ghosts, and history. It's called:**

 **The 5 Ghosts Canada Met Throughout His Life (And One Bonus)**


	20. Chapter 20

A/N at bottom

Chapter 20

1763 (we'll be here for a while)

In the week Matthew has been in Arthur's house, he had spoken as little as possible. He wanted to fight with England, just to express some form of emotion, but he knew he'd throw a shit-fit if he yelled in front of Alfred (who completely ignores him).

But he didn't miss it. The narrowing of England's eyes when Matthew spoke. The sigh when England called out for Alfred but found Matthew instead. Yup, England sure disliked the Canadian (and Matthew disliked him right back).

So a fight (the first of many) had been inevitable.

It all started on a Thursday morning (the second Thursday Matthew spent with the Brit). On this particular morning, England lay hungover in bed (his alcoholism certainly did not help matters). Matthew, who had been waiting alone for hours for everybody to wake up, decided that we wasn't going to wait alone, hungry, in the dark just for England to wake up, Alfred to ignore him, and be forced to eat disgusting food that England attempted to cook.

So he took matters into his own hands. He remembered learning to cook from Francis (not to mention his cooking adventures with Ludwig and Romano... god, he missed them). So, what the hell? It wasn't like England was going to have the energy to yell at him in his current state.

Matthew cooked breakfast in high spirits that morning. A wonderful, French breakfast that he was sure England would have hated. He was careful not to wake anyone up, but Alfred ran into the room regardless.

"Hey dude! Are you making food?" Matthew really didn't have the energy for this.

"Yes, and I'll even give you some if you shut up."

"Really!? That's super cool man!"

"Yes, sure. But you have to be quiet!"

"Ok, quiet, yeah, I can do that! Shhh!"

Matthew had no idea how England put up with it.

Matthew finished his cooking and put out an extra plate for Alfred, who didn't look up once the entire time. Matthew even began to write a letter to his friends before England appeared in the doorway.

"Good morning Alfred... Matthew."

"Good morning Iggy! Look, this guy here made me breakfast!"

Matthew cringed. He was "that guy" now?

For some reason, this irked England, the fact that Alfred was happy Matthew did something for him.

"Oh really? What did he make?"

"I dunno. Some French thing."

Well, this set England over the edge.

"Matthew... really?"

"Uh... yeah?"

"Alfred, please go put your plate away while I discuss something with our guest."

The second the American child left, all hell broke loose.

"Really Matthew? Are you kidding me? Are kidding me right now?"

"I-uh... what?"

"You have the audacity to bring the culture of that frog into my kitchen?"

"I'm sorry, you're upset cause I cooked breakfast?"

"Oh, of course. It's just breakfast. French breakfast with my brother. Are you out of your damn mind?"

"England, its a breakfast. Calm down. You were asleep! What was I supposed to do? Starve?"

"I... you know what? Fine. I overreacted, I didn't sleep well last night. Just... keep anything French out of my life. I don't want to deal with it. You understand? And call me Arthur."

Matthew grit his teeth.

"Yes... Arthur. Just... can you send a letter for me? I wrote one back home to my friends."

"Fine. Why not?"

Alfred walked into the room, causing an entire shift in dynamic.

"Iggy, were going to the park today, right?"

"Yes Alfred, and please, stop calling me that. Now, go get ready to leave."

Matthew quickly forgave Arth- Engl- what ever his name is over this incident. He was hungover, it was early, it was understandable. It was supposed be a one time thing.

The fights, unbeknownst to either, will only get worse.

 **A/N**

 **And that's the chapter! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! The next chapter goes up next Friday!**

 **Also, I started a new story if anyone is interested. It's basically about Canada, ghosts, and history. It's called:**

 **The 5 Ghosts Canada Met Throughout His Life (And One Bonus)**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N at bottom**

Chapter 21

1763

Matthew sat at the kitchen table finishing off a letter. He tried to write at least one a week to his friends back home.

"England, could you mail this off tomorrow?"

"Of course, but I insist, call me Arthur. It sounds ridiculous if you don't!"

Alfred sat next to Matthew. Whenever he was in the room, which was most of the time, the other two were civil to each other, so Matthew didn't try to put up an argument this time.

"Sure, Arthur."

The Brit smiled.

"Now, I'll go get breakfast."

Matthew inwardly groaned. He absolutely despised English food, but of course he wouldn't fight in front of Alfred, who seemed an O.K kid so far.

"Yeah, breakfast!" Alfred whispered.

When Arthur came back with the food, Alfred devoured it, barely looking up to breathe (Matthew just picked at his breakfast to make it seem like he ate it). They usually ate in silence, so nobody had to force a conversation.

"Well," Arthur stood up. "I have work to go do. Put your dishes by the sink when you're done."

"Hmhphm," Alfred responded.

"Sure," Matthew clarified.

Matthew couldn't believe what he was seeing. It had been half an hour since Arthur left, and Alfred was still eating. Matthew had never seen anything like it. He decided he had to get to know Alfred better in order to understand just what went on in his crazy brain.

"Alfred."

"Hmphmg?"

"Do you want to play a game with me?"

"Yeah! Yes! I wanna play a game!"

"Ok, what should we do?"

"Let's play hide and seek!"

"...sure, why not?"

"Ok I'm hiding now!"

Alfred ran out of the kitchen, laughing all the way. Matthew didn't bother counting, he just followed after him.

"Alfred... where are you?"

Matthew didn't know Arthur's house that well, so he didn't know where the good hiding spots were.

"Alfred?"

"Hehehe."

Ah, there he was. In his room.

Matthew walked into Alfred's bedroom and quickly saw him under his bed. But, he didn't want to ruin it for him, so...

"Alfred are you in here?"

"Hehehahaha!"

"Ok, if you're not in here then I'm leaving."

"Haha!"

The American jumped up from under the bed.

"I'm here! Yay, I win! You totally didn't see me!"

"Wow, good job Alfred."

"I'm gonna go tell Iggy that I won!"

"Yeah, you go do that."

With that, Alfred raced out of the room, giggling and yelling.

Arthur smiled at seeing the two getting along so well. He held the letter he was supposed to mail in his hands and walked over to his bed. He took it and stuffed it under his mattress, along with the 30 other letters Matthew had given him to mail.

Besides, how would Matthew find out?

 **A/N**

 **And that's the chapter! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! The next chapter goes up next Friday**!

 **Also, I started a new story if anyone is interested. It's basically about Canada, ghosts, and history. It's called:**

 **The 5 Ghosts Canada Met Throughout His Life (And One Bonus)**

 **I'm updating it next Friday!**


	22. Chapter 22

A/N at bottom

Chapter 22

1763

Ludwig and Romano hadn't talked as much as they'd like to since Matthew left. It wasn't that they didn't like each other. No, they considered each other to be close friends. It just... wasn't the same.

See, Matthew often acted as a bridge, connecting people through conversation. He could get along with anybody, so Romano and Ludwig never had a problem when he was around.

But now, it was kind of awkward.

"So... how have you been?" questioned Ludwig, kicking himself for asking such a lame question.

"Fine. How are you?" Romano looked down at his shirt and started picking at the fuzz.

"Fine."

"Well, that's good."

"Yep."

As you can see, their conversations didn't go very far. Ludwig tried to change the subject.

"I wonder how Matthew is?"

"Who cares."

"What?"

"It's not like he cares about us."

"What do you mean? Of course he does."

"Ludwig, think about it. He's been gone for two months, and he hasn't written to us a single time."

"Well, I'm sure he's very busy."

"Oh, of course, he's busy. He couldn't take ten minutes out of his valuable day to send us a letter. Who knows!? Maybe he's dead!"

"Romano, don't be ridiculous. I'm sure he's fine."

"Well, wouldn't it be nice if we had a letter confirming that?"

Damn, Romano's antics were a lot to handle without Matthew there to calm him down.

"You know that mail takes a while to get here. I'm sure he'll send one soon."

"Whatever. Figures you wouldn't care."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing! I just think you should me more upset than you are."

"I'm upset!"

"No you're not! You have that look on your face."

"What look?"

"That look you always have on! Like you don't care about anything! Matthew's gone, and you don't even care!"

"You know that's not true."

"Really? Because I'm not sure what's true anymore."

"What are you even talking about?"

"Whatever, Ludwig. Just show some emotion once in a while, you're creeping me out."

"Look, maybe he's busy!"

"Or he doesn't care about us anymore? Have you thought of that!? He moved on! Everybody does!"

"Romano..."

"No. Don't bother. I'll get over it. Just... open your eyes Ludwig. Fave the truth."

"Shut up! Stop talking!"

"Oh, you know it's true. It doesn't matter who you hear it from. Don't come crying back to me when you realize that one of your only friends cut you off."

Ouch.

With that, Romano turned and walked away.

They had never fought like that. In fact, this wouldn't have happened if Matthew hadn't left.

Ludwig didn't want to blame Romano. He was an emotional guy, whether he cared to admit it or not.

Ludwig was upset too. It was completely unlike Matthew to not talk to his friends like this. Maybe this English guy had brainwashed him, or he was hurt...

Or he didn't care about Romano and Ludwig anymore.

Still, Romano didn't need to be such a dick about it.

A/N

And that's the chapter! It was kind of short since I'm updating my other story today as well. As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! The next chapter goes up next Friday!

Also, I have another story if anyone is interested. It's basically about Canada, ghosts, and history. It's called:

The 5 Ghosts Canada Met Throughout His Life (And One Bonus)


	23. Chapter 23

A/N at bottom

Chapter 23

Matthew awoke to a knock on his bedroom door.

"What?" He called out.

"Can I come in? Please Mattie? I gotta tell ya something."

"Sure Alfred, come in."

The boy almost broke the door down in his excitement.

"Mattie! Iggy told me I'm supposed to tell you that there's a guy coming here so we have to be super quiet cause he has a meeting!"

"Alfred, you're shouting."

"Oh no! Ok... I'll be quiet. Shhhh."

"Is that all?"

"Yeah... do you wanna play a game with me?"

Sigh

"Sure Alfred."

"Ok chase me!"

"Alfred, wait!"

The American ran out of the room, laughing and screaming. Matthew tried to follow him, but he was tired, and the kid sure could run.

"Alfred, we're not supposed to make any noise!"

"Catch me!"

"Alfred, look where you're going! You'll got the staircase and fal-"

Uh oh.

"Yay! I'm so fast- ahhhhhh!"

He rolled down the stairs and directly into the kitchen, where Arthur was having his meeting.

Matthew ran down the stairs after him, prepared to face the angry Englishman.

"Arthur, I'm so sorry. I told him not to go near the stairs, and then he did it anyway and I know you have your meeting and I didn't want to-"

He took in the scene before him and saw that Arthur wasn't having a meeting with any ordinary person. No, this very man turned out to be Romano's older brother, Antonio!

"Antonio, what are you doing here?!"

"Ah, hola! I had no idea you'd be here!" The Spaniards eyes were shining.

"Of course!

"You two... know each other?" Arthur was puzzled.

"Iggy, hi!" Alfred had recovered from his staircase incident and stood up.

"Alfred, how about you go wait upstairs? Matthew will join you soon."

"Ok Iggy!" Alfred ran back up the stairs, refraining from falling.

"Ah, Arthur, of course I know Matthieu! He's like my nephew."

Arthur's eye twitched ever-so-slightly.

"It's so good to see you Antonio! How is everybody?"

"Missing you, of course. You have to write more often!"

"But I write every day!"

Antonio look baffled.

"Really? But we haven't received anything..."

"Really? Arthur, isn't that weird?"

They two looked towards Arthur, who managed to keep his composure.

"Oh, you know, that pesky international postal system."

"Yeah, I guess it does take a while for letters to send... hey, I actually have a letter you can take back! Here..." Matthew reached towards the kitchen table and grabbed a letter.

"Thanks Matthieu, I'll take good care of it."

The Canadian and Spaniard hugged once more before Arthur cleared his throat.

"Well... we do have that meeting to finish."

"Ah, sí, we do. Ok Matthieu, I'll deliver your letter. Be good!"

"Of course, Antonio." He turned towards the stairs. "Tell everybody I miss them!"

"Of course! Adios."

"Au revoir!" Matthew ran up the staircase where Alfred was waiting.

"Now, that meeting," Arthur said. "How about we discuss..."

Matthew had high hopes that day.

As Arthur's lies would prove, however, his spirits would soon be very, very low.

 **A/N**

 **And that's the chapter! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! The next chapter goes up next Friday!**

 **Also, I have another story if anyone is interested. It's basically about Canada, ghosts, and history. It's called:**

 **The 5 Ghosts Canada** **Met Throughout His** **Life (And One Bonus)**


	24. Chapter 24

A/N at bottom

Chapter 24

1764

By no means would Matthew say that he loved living with Arthur and Alfred. Tolerated? Sure. But loved? Not really.

He still missed Francis, who he hadn't seen in three months, and his friends, who he hadn't seen for even longer. The only contact he had with them was through his letters.

During the beginning of his stay, he barely spoke and behaved well only because he didn't want Francis to be disappointed in him.

Even though Arthur and him would never have a perfect relationship, at least nothing like what he had with Francis, the two tolerated each other, despite the underlying tensions that wouldn't seem to go away.

And fine, he had to admit that Alfred had kind of grown on him.

Which is how he ended up locked into a 3 hour game of hide-and-seek.

"Please Mattie? One more round?"

Matthews patience was wearing thin, and he wanted nothing more than to lay down for a little bit, he agreed.

"Fine Alfred, but this is the last round, ok?"

"Yes! I'm gonna hide now!"

"Great, but don't go into Arthur's room!"

Arthur seemed to have a weird... thing about Alfred and Matthew going into his room. Matthew tried not to question him about it often. Besides, Arthur never went into Matthews room, so he assumed it was an invasion of privacy to go into Arthur's.

"Ok I won't! Bye!" Alfred had enough energy to power the world for a year, and Matthew never seemed to be able to catch up.

"18...19...20! Ready or not, here I come!" Matthew glanced around the room before moving on, desperate for the game to end.

"Alfred... where are you?"

He checked all of the usual places, but Alfred didn't seem to be in his room, the dining room, or the living room. Where was he?

He knew not to go into Matthews room, so- oh. Of course. Arthur's room, the one place he knew Matthew wouldn't go.

 _Sigh_

Well, let's get it over with.

"Alfred, you know you're not supposed to go in here. Arthur told us not to!" Matthew stood in the door frame.

"Hehe..."

"Alfred, don't make me go in there and find you. Just come out. I'll even give you another turn."

 _Silence_

Matthew looked over his shoulder to make sure Arthur wasn't going to sneak up behind him, then entered the room.

"Alfred... I know you're in here."

"Hehehe."

It was painfully obvious that Alfred was hiding under the bed, but Matthew felt bad ruining it just yet.

"Are you... behind the door?"

Matthew checked behind the door.

"Hehehe..."

"Are you... behind the mirror?"

"Hehe... hahaha!"

"Or are you... under the bed!"

Matthew crawled on the floor to Alfred's hiding place.

"Yay! You found me!"

"Yes, can we please leave now?"

"Fine, you win."

Alfred crawled out from the bed.

"Ok Alfred, I'm sure Arthur has dinner waiting."

"Yes! Dinner!" Alfred ran to get his food. Just as Matthew was about to follow him, he saw something out of the corner of his eye.

"Wait... what's this?"

A paper was sticking out of Arthur's mattress. Matthew pulled it out. It wasn't just a paper... it was a letter.

A folded letter in an envelope.

A very familiar envelope.

An envelope that Matthew himself ha addresses to his friends.

Wait

Matthew gave this letter to Arthur to send weeks ago. What was it doing here? Maybe... no. But...?

Matthew grabbed the mattress and flipped it over, greeted with the sight of dozens of letters, all written by Matthew.

Impossible! They were sent months ago! Unless...

 _Arthur_

 **A/N**

 **And that's the chapter! Yes, shits about to go DOWN. As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! The next chapter goes up next Friday!**

 **Also, I have another story if anyone is interested. It's basically about Canada, ghosts, and history. It's called:**

 **The 5 Ghosts Canada Met Throughout His Life (And One Bonus)**


	25. Chapter 25

A/N at bottom

Chapter 25

1764 (Directly after last chapter)

"Arthur, where are you!?" Matthew was fuming. He ran throughout the house towards the kitchen, a bundle of letters in his arms. He walked in on Alfred eating dinner, Arthur looking at a newspaper. He wanted to scream, but he kept his emotions in check.

"Arthur, there you are."

"Hi Matthew," Arthur didn't look up from his paper.

"I have a quick question for you."

"Yes?"

"What," he dropped the letters on the kitchen table, "are these?"

Arthur's face turned pale.

"Alfred, Matthew and I need to have an important discussion. Would you mind having your dinner in the other room?"

"But I wanna hear the important discussion!"

"Alfred, go. _Please_."

Alfred took his plate and left the room, sulking. Arthur diverted his attention to Matthew.

"I can explain."

"How long? How long have you been doing this?"

"... I don't know what you want me to say."

"I haven't seen Francis or any of my friends in months. Those letters were the only things I had left and I can't fucking believe you could do this."

"Don't swear at me." Arthur regained his composure, quick. He wouldn't be talked down to by, what was in his eyes, a child.

Matthew flinched.

"Why? Why'd you do it? Can you tell me that?"

"Because, Matthew, how could you ever trust me if you still spoke to that... frog."

"Don't call him that. And how dare you speak of 'trust'? I can't believe I ever let myself trust you."

"What was I supposed to do, Matthew?"

"I don't know! I haven't caused any problems. You think I like living here? Away from everybody I care about? Then you turn around for no reason and do... this?"

"You're part of _my_ empire now, and you have to face it. You live with _my_ rules."

"I never should've believe you. You're a filthy liar. You lied to Antonio too! He even asked you what happened to the mail! Oh God, he probably think I hate them because they never receives any letters and they won't talk to me and-"

"Calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down!"

"You need to get over it! They were childhood friends. Do you really think relationships like that last long?"

"They're my best friends! He's my brother!"

"Well, maybe he's not who he says he is."

"What do you mean? He loves me!"

"Just... there's things about him you don't know."

"Well, I don't care!"

"Besides, you haven't spoken to him in months and you seem to be managing yourself just fine. Maybe it's time to realize that you don't need him!"

"...Francis was right about you."

"See, that's exactly what I'm talking about. I don't want him spreading lies about me to you!"

"Lies?"

"Yes, lies."

"Oh, so you didn't kill Joan of Arc?"

Too far.

" _How dare you_!"

We're those... tears in his eyes?

"Arthur, I-"

" _Get out_."

"But-"

"GET OUT! I don't care where you go, you can rot on the streets for all I care."

Arthur was visibly shaking, his hands gripping the table.

Matthew wanted to cry, but he couldn't, not after delivering such a low blow.

So he left, taking nothing with him. He passed Alfred on his way out.

"Mattie, where ya going?"

Mathew slammed the door behind him.

 **A/N**

 **And that's the chapter! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! The next chapter goes up next Friday!**

 **Also, I have another story if anyone is interested. It's basically about Canada, ghosts, and history. It's called:**

 **The 5 Ghosts Canada Met Throughout** **His Life (And** **One Bonus)**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 (this is a pretty short one, there were just some loose ends I needed to tie up)

1764

Alfred didn't know what was going on. First, Iggy sent him out of the room to eat dinner. Then there was screaming. Alfred covered his ears for that part. Mattie left. Where did he go?

Alfred figured it was safe to find Iggy. He was probably still in the kitchen.

"Iggy... are you in here? I don't want you to yell..."

He found him sitting at the kitchen table, his head down.

"Iggy..."

He looked up and wiped his red eyes.

"Alfred, please, let me be. Go to your room, we'll discuss this later."

Alfred had _never_ seen Arthur like this. Sure, he's been upset, but never this... sad.

"Why did Mattie leave?"

"Alfred, please."

"You guys were yelling... did you get into a fight?"

"Yes Alfred, Matthew has been ungrateful about his stay here. Don't follow his poor example. He handled the entire situation inappropriately."

"Oh. What happened?"

"Something silly, Alfred. I promise, everything is fine."

"But, that was mean! He was a... jerk! That wasn't nice!"

"You're right Alfred. But life's not fair. Please... go to bed."

Arthur knew he was damaging their brotherly relationship, but he didn't care. How dare he be disrespected like this, and by a child who he was allowing to live with him.

"Ok Iggy, I'll go to sleep..." Alfred rubbed his eyes and walked away. He was angry that Matthew made Arthur upset. In fact, Arthur rarer got upset before Matthew arrived. Why should everything have to change!? Why did Matthew have to come and ruin everything!? He wished he would jut go away, he didn't want a stupid brother.

Arthur knew the damage had been done. He was sure Matthew would resurface later that night, and the next morning would be tense. Alfred would be rude to Matthew, and Arthur would take Alfred's side as usual. But for now...

He reached for a bottle.

 **A/N**

 **And that's the chapter! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! The next chapter goes up next Friday!**

 **Also, I have another story if anyone is interested. It's basically about Canada, ghosts, and history. It's called:**

 **The 5 Ghosts Canada** **Met Throughout His Life (And One Bonus)**


	27. Chapter 27

A/N at bottom

Chapter 27

1765

Arthur's favoritism towards Alfred had always been noticeable. But after recent events, it seemed like Alfred had been ignoring Matthew as well.

Not that Matthew could blame him. It had only been a month since the argument between him and Arthur, but the tensions around the house had grown.

More often than not, Alfred and Arthur always took the same side, and Matthew was left as the outsider. Clearly, Arthur portrayed the Canadian as a villain to the still impressionable American. Evidently, it was working.

"Matthew, stop lagging behind. We have to keep moving."

The trio had been visiting downtown London. It wasn't often they ventured out, as Arthur usually had work to do, but Matthew loved the city.

"Iggy, can we go see the baker?" Of course, Alfred loved food, so this is one of his favorite places in London.

"Sure Alfred, but I have some business to deal with. Just take Matthew with you."

"Matthew?"

This was something else Alfred had been doing. From time to time, he would pretend to forget Matthews name, just to make him feel bad. Or Arthur told him to. Matthew didn't really care why.

"Yes, Matthew. He's right here. Make sure you don't get lost."

"Lets go, Alfred."

Arthur walked away to do whatever it is he had to do, and the duo navigated the crowd and make their way to the baker. Alfred pressed his face against the glass, admiring the pastries on display.

"Oh, how cute! Are you two brothers?" The lady in the shop gushed.

And the _moment_ Matthew went to say "yes", Alfred said:

"No, he's adopted."

Matthews heart sank. Alfred made his feelings quite clear, and Arthur did whatever the boy requested. It wasn't fair. How could Matthew win a 2-1 fight? Clearly, he had to win Alfred back. He could put up with Arthur disliking him, but Alfred? It depressed him.

"Hey Alfred," Matthew called out once they returned home. "Can you come in here for a second?"

Matthew stood at the stove, cooking French delicacies. His plan was fool proof. What did Alfred love more than anything? Food.

"Yeah? Whaddya want?" Alfred walked in. "Wait, are ya making something?"

"Oh, I suppose. You wouldn't want any though."

"Why not?"

"Well Alfred, I you haven't been very nice to me, so I figured you didn't want anything."

"But..."

"Although, I suppose we can work something out."

"Yeah! I'll be nice to you! Super nice! We can even be brothers!"

"Hmm..."

"Please? I promise, Mattie!"

"Fine... I guess that'll work."

"Yes! Thank you! Wanna play a game after this?"

Perfect. Alfred was easy to persuade. Talking to Arthur would be a different matter, but he had Alfred, his brother, and that was enough for now.

 **A/N**

 **And that's the chapter! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated! The next chapter goes up next Friday!**

 **Also, I have another story if anyone is interested. It's basically about Canada, ghosts, and history. It's called:**

 **The 5 Ghosts Canada Met Throughout His Life (And One Bonus)**


	28. Chapter 28

A/N at bottom

Chapter 28

1765

Matthew woke with a start. He hears noises from downstairs. Who could it be? A burglar? Matthew knew that was a fight he wouldn't win.

"Alfred... is that you?"

Nothing.

"Alfred... quit messing around. You're freaking me out."

Alfred didn't answer.

Matthew strained his hears to try and hear what, or who, was making the noise. He hears footsteps and... whimpering?

He was sure it was nothing. Maybe an animal outside. Or maybe...

"Godamnit," he whispered aloud before throwing the covers off and opening his bedroom door. He stood at the top of the stairs and whispered.

"Hello? Arthur, Alfred, is that you?"

The whimpering stopped for a moment. Matthew crept down the the stairs, preparing for a fight. Instead, he found Arthur sitting down at the kitchen table, head down, glass in hand.

"Arthur, are you ok?"

He looked up, seeming guilty and upset that Matthew had caught him.

"Yes, I'm fine."

Matthew didn't try to leave. It was clear that this was a side of Arthur he didn't want anybody to see, but Matthew was, in a way, fascinated to see somebody who was usually in control completely fall apart. He didn't try to ask what was wrong. He just sat there quietly for what felt like hours.

"I'm sorry Matthew." Arthur broke the silence.

"What?"

"I haven't been awfully nice to you, have I?"

"I suppose not."

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok."

"No, I really am. You've been nothing but nice since you arrived here, despite the circumstances. Alfred adores you, you know."

"No I- I understand. It was a burden for me to live here in the first place."

"Matthew, don't say that. You know you always have a place here, even if I don't show it. I shouldn't have hidden your letters, or yelled at you... can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course, Arthur. Let's be friends from now on."

"Friends?"

"Of course."

"You're too sweet, Matthew. Now, get to bed. I don't want you being tired tomorrow because of me."

"Good night, Arthur. You're sure you're alright?"

"Of course. Goodnight."

Matthew turned and walked out of the kitchen and back to his room. Arthur turned his attention back to his glass.

The dynamic of the household improved dramatically after this point.

 **A/N**

 **And that's the chapter! I finally finished this section! Revolutionary war is up next. I'm taking a few weeks off to update my other story. When I get back, I'll finally be able to add in Ludwig and Romano :) As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated!**

 **Also, I have another story if anyone is interested. It's basically about Canada, ghosts, and history. I'm updating it. Ext Friday. It's called:**

 **The 5 Ghosts Canada Met Throughout His Life (And One Bonus)**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N Hey guys! So I realized the way things have been going, I will be writing this story for years, so I figured I'd speed it up a bit. I plan on writing longer chapters and speeding up time a bit. I'm skipping the American Revolution a little because if I don't, Ludwig and Romano won't be in this story for a while, so this way I can include them. Without further ado..**..

Chapter 29

1794

"Matthieu, is that you?"

The Canadian in question looked up from his newspaper in the cafe where he sat. He hadn't visited Paris in years, what with the American revolution. Besides, he and Francis had been at ends recently, and Francis had a revolution on his hands. He didn't come here to see him, he just waned to revisit the city that he loved so dearly. He had been Arthur's sole caretaker for the past decade, with hardly any contact from the outside world, so he decided to reward himself with a small break. Besides, Arthur insisted that he leave.

"Matthieu," another voice repeated.

"Wha-? Oh, Ludwig! Romano! How nice to see you!"

He had _tried_ to keep in touch with his friends, but being so busy with Arthur, the time sometimes ran away from him.

"Matthieu! It's been so long!" Ludwig tried to smile.

"Yeah, TOO long..." Romano grumbled.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just with the American Revolution and all, and Francis and I haven't been talking-"

"Yeah, we haven't heard from you in a while."

"Well I've had to take care of Arthur for the past 10 years. He's so devastated about my brother-"

"Wait," Ludwig interjected. "Why is he devastated about Francis?"

"What?"

"You said he was upset about your brother."

"Oh. No, um... I mean Alfred."

"Oh. Alfred's your brother now? What about Francis? What about us!?" Romano couldn't believe what he was hearing. First Matthew couldn't stand Alfred, and now he's saying they're brothers?

"Romano, please," Ludwig tried to prevent a full on fight from breaking out in the cafe. "Matthieu, how long are you in Paris?"

"About that... this is actually my last day. Sorry, I have to go back to Arthur."

"Oh, I see how it is," Romano growled. "You don't speak to us for years because you claim your busy with your _new_ family, and the one time we see each other in years you refuse to spend time with us because you're busy. It's like you're his slave or something!"

"No, no I'm not! It's not like that!" Matthew thought back to the many times Arthur forgot his name, or called him Alfred, and pushed the thoughts out of his mind. Desperate to hide his insecurities, he fired back.

"You know what, Romano? I think you're just jealous."

"Matthieu!" Ludwig tried to stop him from upsetting Romano.

"It's Matthew. Not Matthieu."

"...Matthieu. Please, let's just sit down and talk awhile."

"What do I have to be jealous of? At least I don't take care of somebody who doesn't give a shit about me!"

"He loves me! It's not like you would know what that feels like!"

"Matthew! How could you!?"

"No, Ludwig, it's fine. I'm out of here. Goodbye, Matthew. I hope your happy with your new life." Romano walked out of the cafe.

"... I suppose you're going to follow him too?"

"Matthew, I don't know why you're acting like this."

"I'm sorry, but he has no idea what he's talking about. I'm happy with Arthur and Alfred."

"Ok, Matthew, good for you. When you've sorted your life out and you feel like visiting, come find me. Keep on touch, I guess." Ludwig ran after Romano.

"...They'll never understand."

Matthew turned back to his newspaper.

 **A/N**

 **And that's the chapter! As always, reviews are greatly** **appreciated. Next chapter goes up next Friday**!


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N at bottom**

Chapter 30

1812

 _BANG_

Ludwig opened one eye. It was definitely too early for this. 3AM, to be exact. He got out of bed, ready to face any possible danger. Gilbert wasn't home, so Ludwig would have to deal with the source of the noise on his own.

He stood downstairs and listened for the noise again. Hmm... nothing. He walked through the kitchen and was just about to go back to sleep when he heard it again.

 _BANG_

 _"LUDWIG, ARE YOU THERE!?"_

Great, it knew his name.

"Hello?" Ludwig called out in the darkness.

" _OPEN THE DOOR_ "

Ludwig crept towards the door, ready to fight whoever was on the other side. He opened it and saw...

"Matthew?"

"Lud- Ludwig! Can I... can I co-come in?"

"Oh, erm, sure, of course."

Matthew stumbled into the house.

"What are you doing here? Wait... are you drunk?"

"Wha? Pff, no! I just am here to say good _hic_ bye! So, goodbye Ludwig!"

"Goodbye? What do you mean, goodbye?"

"I gotta go be in a _war_."

"A war? With who?"

"W-with my _brother_. Cause he wants to fight Arthur, so now I gotta! I gotta! I gotta fight 'im."

"Oh Matthew, I'm sorry."

"Sorry!? Silly. You're so funny, Ludwig. Cause ya know what! I-I'm gonna destroy 'im."

"Wait... what? But I thought you liked Alfred?"

"Ha! Haha!" He spoke these next words with an eerie lucidity.

"I'm going to kill him. I despise him. For what he's done to Arthur, and to me. God forbid I be happy before he goes and ruins it! And Arthur loves him! But what about me! I'm not Alfred! I'm Matthew! I'm Matthew! I'm Matthew Matthew Matthew-"

"Ok, of course!"

"So now I'll gotta make him pay."

Ludwig didn't like it when Matthew was like this. It was so unlike his normally calm friend to become so upset, but when he did, it was terrifying.

The Canadian laughed, alcohol taking effect again.

"Haha, ya look scared, Ludwig! Ludwig, that's a funny name. Ludwig. Luuudwiiig. Heh."

"Matthew-"

"Oh! Right. Listen, ya gotta tell Romano where I'm going! I haven't seen that guy in a while. I miss him... No! I didn't say that! He's a jerk..."

It wasn't helpful that Matthew could hold a grudge when he wanted to, especially when Romano was the most stubborn person Ludwig had ever met.

"Sure Matthew, I'll tell him if I see him."

"If you see him?"

"Yeah, to be honest, I don't see him as much as I used to..."

"Also! Tell Francis where I am! I miss him too... Papa..."

"Of course, Matthew."

"Well then, goodbye! Goodbye Ludwig! I guess I'll see ya soon! Au revoir!"

He stumbled out the front door, ready for war.

"Heh, I'll show Alfred what I'm capable of."

Ludwig shut the door, stood for a moment, and went back to bed.

 **A/N**

 **And that's the chapter! As always, criticism is much appreciated! I'll try and update next week, but I also have to figure out what the next chapter will be because I want a few more between this and WW1. Hmm... We'll see!**


	31. Chapter 31

A/N at bottom

Chapter 31

1825

This wasn't where Romano wanted to be. He was stuck in his bedroom while Antonio was having a meeting in the kitchen, and Romano wasn't allowed to join because of his "attitude", or whatever that meant. This is why he can't stand visiting Tony. What was the point if he was stuck here he entire time? It's not like he wanted to visit anyway, the Spaniard just guilted him... screw this. He made up his mind.

He was going to spy.

With his hear pressed against the door, he stressed to listen, but everything was muffled. He heard his brother and... someone else. With an accent he didn't quite recognize. Hmm...

"Well, Arthur, this has been productive. Matthew, are you sure you don't want to see Romano?"

Matthew!? What was he doing here!?

"No, it's fine. We should get going anyway..."

This was too much. He heard footsteps approaching.

"Alright Matthew, I'm leaving. Join me when you're ready." Arthur left the room. The footsteps moved closer.

"Adios, everyone!" Antonio opened the door Romano was leaned against, causing him to fall to the floor.

"Romano! What are you doing?"

Romano ignored him and stood up, eyes focused on Matthew.

"Hello, Matthew. Funny seeing you here."

"Romano!"

Sensing danger, Antonio tried to step in.

"Romano, please don't..."

"No, Antonio, I'm fine. I'm just glad to see my good friend Matthew. Matthew, how are you? Still with Arthur, I see. How's that going for you?"

"Romano!"

"It's been a while! What, 20 years since you decided you were too good for me?"

"Romano, please..."

Matthew was having none of it.

"Since I decided I was too good for you? Look how you're behaving! Besides, it's not like you'd want to talk to me anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean? You didn't want to talk to me!"

"No! I never said that!"

"Yeah! You were busy with Arthur you hated me! You chose him over me!"

"I.. I guess I kinda did. And that was wrong of me. I thought you didn't like me! But we're friends though!"

"That's what I thought!"

"I wanna be friends again. I miss you, Romano."

"Yeah, let's be friends you bastard!"

Antonio cleared his throat.

"Well... this is nice."

"Antonio, tell Arthur I'm gonna be a while. I'm gonna go hang out with Romano now."

In many ways, Matthew was still a child.

The pair walked for the front door.

"Bye Antonio!" Romano shouted.

They left.

Antonio smiled to himself.

"God, they never change."

 **And that's the chapter! As always, criticisms are greatly appreciated. I just wanted to make this one short and sweet to take up space. Next chapter next Friday!**


	32. Chapter 32

A/N at bottom

Chapter 32

1867

"Guys, I have news!"

Matthew bounced with excitement as he entered Romanos kitchen, where he and Ludwig sat at the table.

"Yeah?" Romano didn't seem as excited, but it good enough for Matthew.

"Guess what I got!?"

"What?"

"Independence!"

Ludwig half-smiled.

"Wow, Matthew! That's fantastic!"

"I know, right!? Well, kind of. I mean, I'm not a British _colony_ now, I'm technically a _dominion_ , but who cares? Let's celebrate!"

"By celebrate, do you mean drink?" This piqued Ludwigs interest.

"Of course it does."

"Nice."

-—

"Guys, this is great." Matthew smiled while the trio sat on Romanos porch.

"What'd ya mean?" Romano asked.

"All of us here. Together. Not fighting. You know what I'm saying?"

Ludwig grunted.

"And we never hang out anymore!"

Moments like these were hard to come by nowadays, so everyone tried to enjoy it while they could.

"Matthew," Ludwig questioned, "when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow. I have to go back home and celebrate with Alfred."

"...ah. Well, I'm sure that'll be nice."

"Yep."

They sat in silence for a moment. While Ludwig and Romano had limited contact with Alfred, they still tried to avoid the subject.

"Well, I'm going inside." Matthew stood up and opened the front door, leaving the other two outside.

"We're not gonna see him for a while, are we?" Romano sighed.

"Hmm," Ludwig sipped his beer. It was a thought for another night.

Romano was right though. The next time the trio met, it would be under very different circumstances.

 **A/N**

 **And that's the chapter! I made it short to finish off this awkward section before the World Wars where I don't have anything of historical significance that would involve these three. As always, criticism is greatly appreciated. I'm putting this on the back burner for a few weeks due to finals and the start of summer, but I'll be back. I still haven't decided if I should do WW1 because I don't have a lot of source material to work with and I don't have many ideas that would fit with WW1 without messing up the story, but let me know!**


	33. Discontinued

Ok, truth be told I completely lost interest in this story. I didn't expect it to be as long as it ended up being, and I would rather discontinue it then write shitty chapters. I'm still updating my other story within the month.

Thanks for reading.


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